Waiting For Goodbye
by Suzi.R
Summary: Scarecrow has his brain. The Tin Man has his heart. The Lion has his courage. They’ve all got what they always wanted – but happiness isn’t always connected with material objects. Part III up. Please review.
1. Part I

Disclaimer: Do not own the characters, the movie or anything to do with the Wizard Of Oz.

Title: Waiting for Goodbye

Summary: Scarecrow has his brain. The Tin Man has his heart. The Lion has his courage. They've all got what they always wanted – but happiness isn't always connected with material objects.

Author's Note: Hi folks. This isn't my usual region of fanfiction, yet I've been watching the Wizard Of Oz movie for the first time in a long while and found myself in love with it all over again. Movie-based. This is a simple one-shot, fairly short, please review!!

Waiting For Goodbye

The three friends watched the hot-air balloon down in the Emerald City, where a crowd of the townsfolk had gathered, not just to bid farewell to their wizard, but to see a man that so many admired, and yet no-one had seen in all his years of living there.

The Tin Man kept looking at his new heart, each time noticing something new about it. The Scarecrow must have read his diploma in DHT (Doctor Of Thinkology) over a hundred times. The Lion pawed at his medal, a look of pride upon his face.

Yet their happiness was overshadowed by sadness. It was like a heavy storm cloud that lingered above, just waiting to burst, leaving sadness and emptiness wherever it went.

"How long now?" asked the Tin Man, finally breaking the silence.

"I don't know. But whenever it is, I don't want it to come."

"Does she really have to go?" the Lion asked, suddenly not as interested in the medal.

"Well, for Dorothy, the whole point of going to see the Wizard was to get her back to Kansas. We've had our requests fulfilled; now it's Dorothy's turn."

The Lion suddenly began fiddling with the end of his tail, which was an old habit that he would never shake off.

"I don't want her to go!" he cried. "I know it's selfish of me, after all she's done for me and you two, and she deserves her request. But I still wish she's stay here with us."

The Tin Man joined in the Lion's cries and the Scarecrow sighed as he reached to get the oil can.

"Honestly, with you two around, it's a good job I can keep my head together," the Scarecrow lied as he battled with his own feelings. "Dorothy has to go back to Kansas. It's what we all made the journey for, as well as ourselves. Now we'll go down there-" the Scarecrow motioned with his head towards the window that overlooked the City, "-and we'll say goodbye to Dorothy. Come on."

The Scarecrow marched out bravely, the Tin Man followed noisily, his joints squeaking, and the Lion followed them both, whimpering.

End note: I don't know! I really don't! It just came into my mind! Well, please please PLEASE review, and many thanks for taking the time to read.

Suzi.


	2. Part II

Disclaimer: Beautiful movie, beautiful cast, beautiful characters. And I don't own any of them.

Author's Note: "Just a one-shot," she says. But with the reviews I received I could not leave the fiction alone. So it's now to be a three-part piece. As my first review suggested, this chapter will be as the hot-air balloon takes off (yet Dorothy misses it due to a certain Toto, lol) but she still must depart from Oz when Glinda informs her of the power of the ruby slippers. And by the way – I have nothing against cats; I am merely trying to reflect on Toto's feelings towards them. ;-)

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Waiting For Goodbye

Part II

They stood near to the basket of the balloon, listening as the Wizard made his final speech, and declaring that the Scarecrow would rule over Oz, assisted by the Lion and the Tin Man. The trio stood and showed their newly-found assets to the crowd; yet their faces did not show happiness.

Quite suddenly, Toto noticed a Siamese cat in the arms of a woman in the observing crowd. Barking viciously, he wriggled free of Dorothy's arms and trotted out into the crowd towards the cat. Toto had always found cats incredibly annoying; the way they all sat on walls and fences, washing themselves with those silly little tongues.

"Oh Toto, come back, Toto, Toto!"

Despite the call from his little mistress, Toto made no attempt to turn back. All he could think of was reaching that cat.

Dorothy climbed hurriedly out of the basket, making a desperate plea to the Wizard to not leave her behind, and followed Toto down the steps and into the crowd, followed by the Lion and the Scarecrow.

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The Thoughts Of The Tin Man

I didn't want her to go.

I knew the only way she would ever be truly happy would be to return to Kansas, back to her Aunt Em, but still that tiny part of me thought, "Why? Why can't she stay here and be happy with us?"

I knew that tiny thought was a selfish one, but how could I help it? We had been through so much together...and although me, the Lion and the Scarecrow would still have each other, the group would be incomplete.

The Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion and Dorothy.

When she'd gone, there'd just be the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion. And somewhere out there, in a far-off country we'd never heard of, there'd be Dorothy.

That part of me was the most prominent as Toto ran off the platform into the crowd. It was like there were two versions of me; the version that wanted Dorothy to go home and be happy, and the version that wanted her to stay, and never to return to that dreary place called Kansas. The two parts of me argued over it.

Guess which version won.

I admit it was partially because I was distracted by Toto running off into the crowd. And – I truly don't know how it happened – my grip on the rope which held the balloon loosened, and suddenly it began to float away.

The part of me that loved Dorothy and wanted her to be happy tried as hard as possible to reel that balloon back in.

The tiny, selfish part of me was rejoicing.

Just a little bit.

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"Now I'll never get home," Dorothy said, her voice somewhere between despair and a sob, as the four of them watched the balloon float further and further away.

The Lion lay a soft paw on her shoulder.

"Stay with us then Dorothy. We all love you. We don't...want you to go."

"That's very kind of you. But this could never be like Kansas."

She turned to the Scarecrow.

"What am I going to do?"

What can only be described as a bubble, bright and pink, floated down toward the platform and landed, turning into Glinda The Witch Of The North as soon as it touched the steps.

Dorothy curtsied and pleaded once again for help. A delighted smile at first crossed her features as Glinda explained that she no longer needed help; she could return to Kansas at anytime using the power of the ruby slippers. A look of sheer wonder and happiness crossed Dorothy's face, but as she turned back to her three companions, it faded just as quickly as it came.

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The Thoughts Of The Lion

We all watched, partly filled with happiness for Dorothy, and partly filled with remorse and sorrow.

Now she really had to go.

I thought of the time we all first met in the forest. It wasn't the way you usually met someone who'd become your most treasured friend. I'd watched the three of them walking down the yellow brick road that passed through the forest. I heard their fears over the wild animals that could be lurking, and knew I'd have no trouble scaring them off.

I jumped down from the rocks and onto the road. They dispersed, The Scarecrow and the Tin Man lay on the road, one either side of me. Dorothy ran to the side of the road and hid behind a large tree.

She kept quiet most of the time. That is, until I chased after Toto. She came to his rescue, promptly hitting me in the nose. Despite the shock, I began to tell her and her comrades of my dilemma; I had no courage. When they offered to take me along to the Emerald City, how could I refuse?

My thoughts returned to the present as I watched Dorothy saying goodbye to the Tin Man.

When it was my turn, I couldn't help crying a little as she kissed me and stroked my mane.

"I know it isn't right," she said, half-smiling, "but I'm gonna miss the way you used to holler for help before you found your courage."

"I would never have found it, if it hadn't been for you."

And then it was over, as she moved on to saying goodbye to the Scarecrow.

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The Thoughts Of The Scarecrow

She reached up and put her free arm around me.

I knew this was the last goodbye.

I think, secretly, we didn't want her to leave in the balloon. However much we loved her, none of us wanted her to go back to Kansas.

But this was it.

"I think I'll miss you most of all."

You have no idea how much that last sentence meant to me. The minutes seemed to slow down, but finally, she pulled away and faced The Good Witch.

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"Are you ready now?" Glinda smiled kindly at Dorothy.

"Yes." She turned and waved Toto's paw at her comrades. "Say goodbye, Toto."

The trio all waved solemnly back.

"Yes, I'm ready now."

Glinda turned her to face the crowd.

"Now close your eyes, click your heels together three times..."

Dorothy did as she was told.

"...And think to yourself, there's no place like home."

Dorothy repeated the words, over and over, and with a sudden flash, she was gone.

And where she had been, on the platform, stood all that was left to prove she'd even been in Oz.

The ruby slippers.

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End note: I hope it wasn't too dreadful! I needed to use quite a lot of the scenes/dialogue from the end of the movie to make this work, but I hope it's OK.

Please review, I know it's not terrific, but I tried.


	3. Part III

Disclaimer: Beautiful movie, beautiful cast, beautiful characters. And I don't own any of them.

Author's Note: Thanks to all for the reviews, they're so much appreciated. I have written the next part of the story from my own imagination, so it doesn't follow on to the "Return To Oz" movie etc. In my world, I don't think Mombi and the Nome King exist. So therefore, the latter doesn't get the Ruby Slippers, ha ha ha. Here is the final part of my story, and I hope it doesn't disappoint anyone.

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Waiting For Goodbye

Part III

She'd gone.

She'd finally received her wish and returned to her beloved Kansas.

And they couldn't stand it.

They kept thinking they'd heard her voice and would all turn around to look for her. It hurt as they remembered she was no longer there.

The Scarecrow, now in charge of Oz, was popular with the crowd and they cheered madly whenever he appeared. He was assisted by the Lion and the Tin Man, who were also popular. And although Dorothy was gone, it was a small condolence to know they still had each other.

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The clock struck midnight in the Emerald City. The Tin Man and the Lion finished off their final duties, and yet the Scarecrow was nowhere to be found. They'd searched the inner of the Emerald City and were beginning to worry when the Tin Man happened to glance through one of the shining windows, that overlooked the yellow brick road.

"Lion! Out there!"

On the road, a little way up, they could vaguely make out the shape of the Scarecrow, who sat by the roadside.

The Lion pattering and the Tin Man clanking, they opened the huge doors – it seemed so loud at that hour – and went off down the road where all of them – all _four_ of them – had walked so happily down a few days earlier. They joined the Scarecrow at the roadside, and sat in silence for a few minutes.

The Scarecrow stared up at the biggest, brightest star in the sky.

"Do you suppose that's where Dorothy is?" he said quietly, pointing to the star.

The Lion and the Tin Man looked at him questioningly.

"The Good Witch said she fell from a star." All three of them looked skywards. "Do you think she'll ever come back?"

The Tin Man looked at him.

"I hope so. I really do. But no matter what happens, I don't think she'll forget us in a hurry."

The silence resumed for a few more moments before the Scarecrow got to his feet.

"Come on, fellas." He said, seemingly happier than he'd been for days. "We've got a job to do here, and we can't do it without a good night's sleep, can we?"

"I guess not," Smiled the Tin Man. "C'mon, Lion."

And the trio walked back into the Emerald City.

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End Note: Not too dreadful I hope. Thank you to all reviewers. Let me know what you think...and I might post another story. ;-)


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